Fibromyalgia: I Have It… Now What?

”…I was told by my doctor that I have fibromyalgia
and I don’t know what to do. I’ve noticed that over the last couple of
years that I’ve been having a progressively harder time doing simple
tasks that I used to take for granted like folding laundry, ironing,
cooking, cutting up vegetables, sewing, driving a car, and holding a
book. Even sleeping has become very challenging. I have to take many
breaks while I’m doing these tasks and even take a nap in the middle of
the day. I never used to have to do that! My family doctor initially
seemed interested in helping me. He listened to me, took some blood,
took some x-rays, and then said ‘….everything looks fine.’ His
conclusion was that I must have fibromyalgia – I’ve never even heard of
that! He prescribed many different drugs. One was to help me sleep but
all it did was knock me out to the point where I couldn’t get up in the
morning and felt so groggy that I couldn’t function. Then, he tried this
other one and I felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin! I’ve tried 3
or 4 different drugs and the side effects were all worse than what I’m
dealing with, without the drugs. He finally concluded, ‘…you’ll just
have to learn how to live with it.’ Well, thank you very much, doctor!
Tell me HOW to do that?”

That feeling of helplessness and not
knowing what to do next described above is a common complaint among
fibromyalgia (FM) sufferers and the fact is, many patients with FM
simply CAN’T just “…learn to live with it” and need guidance.

One
such patient recently presented in such situation. After a detailed
history, the chiropractor checked her vital signs, performed a physical
exam that included observation, palpation, range of motion, physical
performance testing, orthopedic and neurological tests, and then sat
down to discuss the findings and what specific things chiropractic could
offer her. The chiropractor laid out a treatment that consisted of the
following:

Leg length correction: She had a 12mm short right
leg, a tipped pelvis with a compensatory curve in the low back. Heel
lifts were recommended.

Foot orthotics: She had flat feet and rolled in ankles that were altering her gait pattern.

Exercises:
She was quite deconditioned (out of shape) and needed help with
flexibility, strength and endurance, balance/coordination, and aerobic
function.

Spinal manipulation: She had areas in her spine that
were not properly moving and she had to compensate and use other parts
too much, setting up faulty movement habits.

Nutritional
counseling: She was consuming too many glutens (wheat, oats, barley,
rice) which can make you feel tire/fatigued/“wiped out” all the time.
She was placed on a strict gluten-free diet and encouraged to use of
several nutrients.

They discussed “realistic goals.” This was
probably the MOST important part for her. She was told NOT to expect a
“cure” but rather, a means of “controlling” FM. It was emphasized that
expecting “too much” will set her up for disappointment and treatment
failure. They discussed ways she could control or minimize the symptoms
of FM and what the role of chiropractic played in that management
process. They also discussed finding a family doctor who was willing to
work with her chiropractor.

She is doing very well,
independent of regular doctor visits, and is for the first time in a
long time, happy with her ability to control her FM condition.

Members of ChiroTrust® have taken “The ChiroTrust Pledge”: “To the best of my ability, I agree to provide my patients convenient, affordable, and mainstream Chiropractic care. I will not use unnecessary long-term treatment plans and/or therapies.”

Search

Conditions

Archives

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.